YXJ - 14

Jiang Congxian didn’t ask any more questions; he just told Jiang Yuan to get out of the car.

Jiang Yuan obediently pulled the car over to the side of the road, then got out and left.

Suddenly, only the two of them were left in the car. Lin Wangshu tightly gripped her skirt, thinking he was going to do something right there in the car.

But Jiang Congxian let go of her, opened the car door without a word, and got into the driver’s seat.

“Come over here.”

Lin Wangshu didn’t move.

His voice turned low and heavy. “Don’t make me repeat myself.”

His temper was unpredictable, and there was no telling when he might get angry. Lin Wangshu didn’t have the guts to challenge him. After hesitating for a while, she obediently got into the passenger seat.

The area was remote. Because it was the road leading to the mountaintop, there were no pedestrians and few cars.

Jiang Congxian held the steering wheel with one hand and loosened his tie with the other.

“That person just now, his name is He Jingyang, right?”

Lin Wangshu looked at him in confusion. “How do you know?”

A light smile played on Jiang Congxian’s lips, as if laughing at her naivety. “Isn’t it easy to investigate a student’s background?”

“Why did you investigate him?”

Jiang Congxian did not answer her question.

“He’s a smart person who knows how to use his background to maximize his benefits, but it’s just a small-minded kind of cleverness.”

There was a fork in the road ahead. He turned the steering wheel with one hand. “To bring up his father for an insignificant student council president position is a bit shortsighted.”

Ever since she got in the car, she had smelled a strong scent of alcohol, and she had originally thought it was from herself.

She had drunk half a glass of it just now under the repeated urging of He Jingyang’s roommates.

But now that they were close, she realized the smell of alcohol was coming from Jiang Congxian.

She frowned. “Are you drinking and driving?”

The corners of Jiang Congxian’s lips curled up slightly, his voice a little hoarse from the alcohol. “Speak softer. If we get caught, we’ll have to go to jail.”

“Jiang Congxian, are you crazy?”

He reached out his hand, placed it on her head, and gently rubbed it, as if comforting a pet.

“Shh, brother is in a bad mood right now. Be quiet.”

Lin Wangshu gripped the armrest tightly. To say she wasn’t scared would be a lie.

As the car’s speed increased, she finally couldn’t take it anymore and pleaded softly, “Jiang Congxian, can you... can you pull over?”

Her voice was soft and delicate, as if giving in.

Lin Wangshu didn’t expect Jiang Congxian to actually listen to her. After all, he was a complete and utter lunatic.

The car window was open, and the cold wind poured in.

Jiang Congxian’s eyelashes lifted slightly. He rested his elbow on the car window and gently rubbed his lips with his thumb, lost in thought.

A moment later, he uncharacteristically did as she wished and pulled the car over to the side of the road.

There were no streetlights here; it was secluded and quiet. The headlights of the car were like a sharp blade, cutting through the darkness.

Jiang Congxian took out his cigarette case. “His family has a bit of a background, but it can’t protect you.”

Lin Wangshu was stunned for a moment before she realized he was talking about He Jingyang.

“Even if they are all wolves, one that grows up in a greenhouse is destined not to have very sharp claws. Instead of spending time waiting for a cub to grow up and seek shelter, it’s better to stay with the adult wolf.”

He leaned closer to her, gently pinching her earlobe with his thumb. His soft, low laugh seemed to carry a reminder. “Shushu, you’re a smart girl. You should know how to weigh the pros and cons. Don’t disappoint brother.”

Whenever she felt insecure, she would always grab onto something.

Her hands subconsciously grabbed the seatbelt. “Why are you telling me this?”

Jiang Congxian noticed the movement of her hands, and his eyes narrowed slightly.

After a moment, he took her hand and placed it on his own leg.

His eyes were filled with a smile, and the moonlight from outside the window poured in, a rare mix of gentle light. “In the future, you’ll only grab brother’s hand.”

While Lin Wangshu was in a daze, Jiang Congxian gently kneaded her palm. “Security is a cheap thing, but only brother can give it to you, and only brother is worthy of it, do you understand?”

That moment of tenderness felt like a misconception. He had returned to his usual frivolous and casual self.

Lin Wangshu lowered her eyes and forcefully pulled her hand away.

She said coldly, “I don’t need it.”

Jiang Congxian was still smiling. “It’s alright. You’ll need it eventually.”

Lin Wangshu didn’t dare to ride in his car. Jiang Congxian didn’t continue driving either; he called Jiang Yuan.

Half an hour later, the black Mercedes drove over.

Craving a cigarette, Jiang Congxian stood outside smoking, one hand in his trouser pocket.

The mountain road was quite wide. He flicked the cigarette ash, his eyes fixed on the continuous night view.

The cold wind was bone-chilling, yet all his senses seemed to have failed.

He stood there motionless, looking at the thousands of lights below the mountain, lost in thought.

Or perhaps, he wasn’t thinking about anything at all.

Jiang Yuan stood by his side, waiting quietly.

Having followed Jiang Congxian for so many years, he knew what kind of person he was.

Deeply calculating and skilled at manipulating people’s hearts.

From any perspective, he definitely did not fall into the category of a good person.

Jiang Congxian took a deep drag of his cigarette and exhaled a gray smoke ring. “Tell me, if I jumped from here, would I die?”

Jiang Yuan thought he was having a relapse of his condition. He frowned and took out his phone. “I’ll call Dr. Zhao.”

Jiang Congxian patted his shoulder and laughed, “Don’t worry, I was just asking.”

After returning home, Lin Wangshu took a shower and went to bed. The lingering effects of the alcohol were strong, and she wasn’t a good drinker.

She felt dizzy.

In the living room, Jiang Congxian had just finished a multinational meeting. Jiang Yuan made him a cup of coffee.

Usually, the household staff would do these things, but they had all gone to rest at this hour.

Jiang Yuan brought the coffee cup over and gently placed it by Jiang Congxian’s hand.

The video conference had been closed, and the computer was on the home screen.

His eyes were bloodshot, a result of extreme fatigue.

Jiang Congxian was not only ruthless to others but also to himself. It was common for him to work for days and nights without sleep when he was busy.

He got to where he was today purely on his own, so he couldn’t relax, and he couldn’t show a single weakness.

He did get tired, but it didn’t matter.

Being low-class and being tired—the latter was obviously a little better.

Jiang Yuan stood properly on the side. “I just called Dr. Zhao. He should be here soon.”

Jiang Congxian looked up. “Why did you call him?”

Jiang Yuan hesitated. “Your condition...”

Jiang Congxian’s eyebrows furrowed. After a moment, they slowly relaxed.

He looked down, his face full of concern. “Your emotions were very unstable today. It’s better to have Dr. Zhao check you.”

The man’s eyebrows furrowed, but after a moment, they slowly relaxed.

He had not had a check-up in a while. He nodded.

As he got up, he unbuttoned his collar. “I’ll go take a shower first. If Dr. Zhao arrives, just have him wait for a little while.”

“Okay.”

Dr. Zhao did wait for a long time. When Jiang Congxian came out of the bathroom in a bathrobe, he had already read almost half of the book he was holding, and the coffee cup on the table was empty.

He had a dry towel on his semi-wet hair. His brow bone was obscured by his drooping hair. Jiang Congxian’s deep-set eyes seemed to still carry the misty air from the bathroom.

The refrigerator was built-in. He took out a bottle of ice water and sat down opposite the doctor.

Dr. Zhao put down his book, his expression becoming serious. He asked, “How have you been feeling lately?”

Jiang Congxian took a sip of water, nodding nonchalantly. “It’s alright.”

“Do you still have Sertraline?”

“Yes.”

“You still have Sertraline, right?”

“Yes.”

“Then I’ll prescribe some more tranquilizers for you.” Dr. Zhao took out a pen and paper. “Your condition is recovering quite steadily. Try not to let yourself be stimulated.”

Jiang Congxian sneered. “No one dares to.”

He did have the capital to be so arrogant.

Dr. Zhao left a box of medicine. “If you feel unwell or frequently have situations where you can’t control your emotions, contact me immediately.”

The process was simple. After making sure his emotions were okay, Jiang Yuan saw him out.

The living room fell silent.

The hands of the clock on the wall slowly moved. Jiang Congxian finished the entire bottle of water and looked at the tranquilizers on the table, seemingly deep in thought.

After a moment, he turned and went upstairs.

The curtains were not completely closed, and the moonlight shone in, spreading across the floor in gentle spots of light.

The woman on the bed was lying on her side. The silk quilt was draped over her calves. Her pajamas had unknowingly been lifted, the hem rolled up, revealing a flat stomach without any excess flesh.

She should eat more. Jiang Congxian preferred women with a little more flesh; they were more comfortable to hold.

He stood by the bed, his slender, pale fingers untying the bathrobe. In his mind, he thought about feeding her more in the future to fatten her up.

The bathrobe was tossed aside.

He was tall and easily took up two-thirds of the bed. Squeezed for space, Lin Wangshu subconsciously snuggled into his arms.

In her sleep, she was clearly more obedient and docile. Her hand moved up to his waist, fumbling around.

Jiang Congxian turned over, pressed down on her restless hand, and his voice was deep and hoarse, with a warning smile. “If you make it hard, you’ll get screwed.”

That meant there would be no sleep tonight.

She whimpered, as if she was scared, and obediently shrank into his arms, not daring to move again.

The moonlight outside the window was still soft. He held Lin Wangshu and slept soundly.

________________________________________

Lin Wangshu had a class the next day and set her alarm in advance for fear of oversleeping.

But when she woke up naturally, the alarm had not gone off.

The sunlight was a bit dazzling. She wanted to raise her hand to block it, but her arm couldn’t move.

Her brain was still in a daze. As her consciousness slowly returned, she realized that there was someone else lying next to her.

Seeing that the little girl was finally awake, Jiang Congxian’s lips curled up slightly, and he looked at her with a smile in his eyes.

Lin Wangshu’s eyebrows gradually furrowed. “Why are you in my room?”

His gaze fell on her loose neckline. Because of her current posture, the lovely view inside was clearly visible. “The entire villa is mine. I can sleep wherever I want.”

Noticing his gaze, Lin Wangshu quickly pulled her collar up.

Jiang Congxian chuckled faintly, not caring about her actions.

Lin Wangshu then remembered to check the time. She turned on her phone. It was already noon.

Oh no, I slept through all my morning classes.

She frowned, muttering in confusion, “Why didn’t my alarm go off?”

Jiang Congxian sat up. “I turned it off.”

“Why did you turn off my alarm?”

“It was too noisy.”

“...”

She didn’t want to argue with him anymore. She got up and walked to the closet. After a moment, she looked back at him. “I’m going to change.”

Jiang Congxian nodded, as if giving her permission. “Go ahead.”

“...How can I change with you here?”

He laughed. “Is there any part of your body I haven’t seen?”

Lin Wangshu was thin-skinned and easily blushed.

But for a moment, she couldn’t find a word to retort.

Jiang Congxian watched her with interest, seemingly in a good mood.

Lin Wangshu grabbed a random set of clothes and opened the door to leave.

She changed in the bathroom and also washed up.

She still had one class in the afternoon, and she had to explain what happened last night to Xun Ya.

Getting kidnapped out of thin air on the street—it sounded like something out of a fantasy.

Only a lunatic like Jiang Congxian could do something like that.

Since they weren’t in the same department, Lin Wangshu and Xun Ya rarely saw each other during class time.

She arranged to meet her after class at the dorm.

Xun Ya didn’t have classes today, and it was still early. She was scrolling through her phone, thinking about where to go.

She would say, “I can’t let my youth be completely wasted in school.”

She hugged Lin Wangshu and pleaded, “Can you come home a little late tonight, please?”

Lin Wangshu hesitated. “My family will say something.”

Jiang Congxian had set a curfew for her, not allowing her to come home too late.

Indeed, for a girl from a prominent family like Lin Wangshu, her family would surely have strict rules.

Xun Ya had already thought of that.

She chuckled and gave her an idea. “How about this? You can say you’re sleeping over at my house. Your parents will definitely agree.”

Lin Wangshu pondered for a moment and was about to refuse.

Xun Ya held her arm and whined, “Please, I just want you to stay with me for one night, wuwuwu, Shushu is the best.”

Lin Wangshu looked gentle and delicate, but she was actually stubborn and more responsive to soft persuasion than hard pressure.

After Xun Ya’s continuous whining, Lin Wangshu finally gave in. “Then... I’ll call him and ask.”

She turned her back and dialed Jiang Congxian’s number.

At this time, he would either be at a social event or at the company. The person who answered the phone was an unfamiliar male voice.

“Miss Lin, Mr. Jiang is still in a meeting. Is there anything I can help with? I can pass on the message.”

It must be Jiang Congxian’s assistant. Lin Wangshu had seen him a few times before.

Lin Wangshu thanked him and said there was no need. She then asked, “How long until he finishes the meeting?”

The assistant looked at the time. “He’s been in there for over an hour, so it should be soon.”

“Okay, then I’ll wait for him.”

She didn’t hang up the phone; she just left it on.

Xun Ya asked her, “How did it go? Did he agree?”

Lin Wangshu said, “He’s still in a meeting.”

“Is it your dad?”

When faced with her question, Lin Wangshu was slightly taken aback. Her long eyelashes covered the emotions in her eyes.

She didn’t know how to introduce Jiang Congxian to her. She was a person with her own pride and was not yet ready to expose this complicated relationship to her friends.

So she made up a lie. “He’s my brother.”

Xun Ya seemed interested. “Your brother? Is he handsome? Does he have a girlfriend?”

Jiang Congxian’s face appeared in her mind. He was undoubtedly good-looking, otherwise he wouldn’t have attracted so many admirers.

She didn’t know what kind of magic he had that made all those high-society ladies fall for him.

“He’s okay.” She told another lie.

Xun Ya seemed not to believe her. “You’re so beautiful, so your brother can’t be bad either.”

At the same time, the man’s deep, clear voice came from the phone in her hand. “Hmm?”

She didn’t know when the speakerphone was turned on. Lin Wangshu quickly turned it off and turned her back to take the call.

“Are you done with your meeting?”

He seemed to be smiling. “Were you just speaking ill of me?”

“No.”

“I heard you.”

Lin Wangshu changed the subject and said softly, “I have something to tell you.”

He must have just finished the meeting. The surroundings were a bit noisy, with greetings coming in from time to time.

“Hello, Mr. Jiang,” they said in succession.

He patiently responded to each one.

Sometimes Lin Wangshu really admired him. To achieve his goals, he was willing to make any sacrifice.

Even if his inner disgust had reached its maximum limit, he could still maintain a gentle smile on his face.

He must have arrived at the CEO’s office. With the sound of the door closing, the surroundings fell silent.

He turned his chair and sat down. “Speak. What is it?”

“I... I’m not coming home tonight.”

Jiang Congxian’s voice deepened. “Not coming home?”

She swallowed hard, and when she opened her mouth, no sound came out.

Xun Ya saw that she was taking too long to get to the point and grabbed the phone. “I’ll say it for you.”

She first introduced herself. “Hello, big brother. I’m Lin Wangshu’s classmate. It’s my birthday today, so I want Lin Wangshu to come to my house to stay with me for one night. Is that okay?”

The person on the other end said something, and Xun Ya promised, “I definitely won’t take her to any shady places. You can rest assured. We’ll just go to a popular internet cafe nearby, eat something, take some selfies, and then go home.”

“Okay, thank you, big brother.”

She gave Lin Wangshu an “okay” sign and handed the phone back to her.

Lin Wangshu hesitantly placed the phone to her ear.

Jiang Congxian’s voice was low. “When did you learn to lie and deceive people?”

Lin Wangshu’s heart jumped. She thought he had figured something out.

Before she could speak, his laughter was provocative. “Next time you lie, come up with a more believable identity. There’s no brother who would have sex with his sister.”

Lin Wangshu: “...”

“Since it’s your friend’s birthday, you can’t be too shabby. I’ll have someone transfer money to your card in a bit. Don’t stay out too late. Go home and rest early. Don’t make your brother worry, got it?”

His tone was gentle, as if he was just a good brother who cared for his sister.

Lin Wangshu said, “If there’s nothing else, I’m going to hang up.”

He coaxed softly, “Be a good girl, say ‘brother’ before you hang up.”

(Qiuqiu’s Meow)